“Prince Xiang has always been content and uncontentious, merely a puppet used by the Liang family to vie for power. He surely harbors no secondary intentions.” When Nan Rongchen spoke, a trace of helplessness laced his words. A bit of chilly wind slipped down his throat, causing him to cover his lips and cough twice. “The faction under Liang Youzhang is indeed truly difficult to deal with.”
Nan Rongchengyu harbors no secondary intentions? He would rather trust that posturing and hypocritical trash Nan Rongchengyu than trust him? Nan Rongxian was ready to erupt on the spot, but seeing Nan Rongchen cough with such captivating allure at the corner of his eyes, he had to swallow his overflowing irritation back down the way it came. With a gloomy expression, he stepped over to close the window.
Seeing this, Nan Rongchen lazily stopped him. “Royal Brother, do not close the window. It is too stuffy.”
Before his death in his past life, he had failed to catch sight of the sunlight. Now that he was still alive, he would take in as much of it as he could for every extra moment he lived; shining upon his body, it felt warm regardless.
Nan Rongxian had already gripped the wooden pole propping open the window. Hearing those words, his brow furrowed. Nan Rongchen was blind, ignorant of the heart, and utterly devoid of a conscience, yet ordering him around came so naturally.
He turned his head, preparing to fling a few sharp remarks, but upon seeing the man completely enveloped in sunlight with a rare, tranquil serenity, the words at the tip of his tongue changed. “Meddlesome. I will indulge you this once.”
“Still, fortunately.” Nan Rongchen tugged at the blanket Nan Rongxian had draped over him, looking up just before the other could stand, his gaze unblinking. “We have Royal Brother here.”
The imperial edict granting Nan Rongxian regency had already been issued that day. Though it was a spontaneous decision, a tool left unused would go to waste.
When employing people, one should not doubt them. He did not worry about Nan Rongxian seizing the opportunity for ulterior motives; ideally, Nan Rongxian could yank him straight off the throne.
After all, Nan Rongchengyu and the pack of old foxes in the protagonist’s faction only wanted a tool for waging external wars and wielding internal political manipulation, and this tool also needed to be brutally inhumane. All things considered, Nan Rongxian fit the bill quite well.
“Troublesome.” Pinned in place by that single glance, Nan Rongxian dropped the blanket and straightened up. “Now you suddenly remember to look for this Prince?”
[System 365: Please, Host, strictly abide by the plot!]
Unflustered, Nan Rongchen brushed it off. “If you want Gu to complete the missions, then do as Gu says. When the time is right, I will naturally go find that Prince of Shule.”
System 365 conducted a secret internal analysis and remained silent: last time, Nan Rongchen had successfully completed the mission after all, even triggering the protagonist’s hidden satisfying points and picking up a tyrannical villain persona among the non-player character courtiers outside the protagonist’s faction.
Most importantly, Nan Rongchen went crazy without any warning. If the system lagged even a step behind, the entire plot would collapse.
After a comprehensive analysis, a villain was still a villain, extraordinarily fierce. It was better to go along with whatever he wanted.
Having dismissed the system, Nan Rongchen said no more. His cascading dark hair made his complexion appear even paler, and his lips were entirely devoid of blood color.
Nan Rongxian unconsciously softened his tone, handing over a cup of clear tea. “I will help you this time, but this Prince must exact some benefits in return.”
“As Royal Brother wishes.” Nan Rongchen took the teacup and swallowed a sip. There was no fragrance to the tea, and the taste was thoroughly ordinary, but it was better than nothing.
Nan Rongxian wanted power, reputation, and the throne. Handing them over to him was fine; they would all end up in the protagonist’s hands eventually anyway.
Nan Rongxian had not expected his younger brother to agree so readily. He had merely spoken offhand and did not even know what he wanted to demand.
Amidst his lingering doubts, he scrutinized Nan Rongchen for a few moments, his gaze unconsciously drifting down to those two lips moistened by the tea. Nan Rongchen had repeatedly extended goodwill toward him lately; the only explanation was that he wished to reconcile with him. Yet thinking he could dismiss him with just a few words was nothing short of wishful thinking.
“Ah-Chen had better remember today’s promise,” Nan Rongxian said with a sinister edge. If he wanted reconciliation, he would first have to deal with those eyesores by his side.
With the temptation of the throne looming ahead, Nan Rongxian began to drag out his words. Nan Rongchen put down his teacup, preparing to see his visitor out. As the gilded cup landed on the table, a hem of moon-white robes happened to brush past its side.
“It was merely a casual promise, so what if you forget it?” Xie Chen sat uninvited upon the window sill, casually pouring out the tea left on the table. “This tea is far too inferior.”
The mere sight of this person made Nan Rongxian’s blood boil. For the past half month, he had openly and secretly dispatched people to the Bureau of Astronomy numerous times, only to be blocked by this master of unknown origins whom the Chief Astrologer had brought in. Yet, frustratingly, he could not lay a hand on this fellow.
Now that Nan Rongchen had awakened, old grudges and new scores could be settled together, incidentally cleaning up this Bureau of Astronomy that was always playing the mystic.
He turned to the personal guards who had hurried over to report. “This Prince has received word that this morning’s attempt on His Majesty’s life is inextricably linked to you. Men, drag him to the Ministry of Justice for strict interrogation.”
Ever since Nan Rongxian was registered under Consort Shen’s name, the officials led by the Shen family had all fallen under his banner, including the Minister of Justice.
Reaching this juncture in this lifetime, Nan Rongchen had been on the throne for less than a year and had not yet gotten around to moving against the Ministry of Justice, especially since the Ministry of Punishments acted as a check upon it. In his past life, he had assumed the Minister of Punishments was loyal to him.
Yet in the end, among his numerous charges, there was also one accusing him of appointing ruthless officials to hollow out the Minister of Punishments, practicing cronyism through the law.
Nan Rongchen tapped his armrest rhythmically, having no intention of meddling in this idle affair. The Witch God was profoundly mystical; he hardly needed anyone to rescue him.
Xie Chen reached out to halt Nan Rongchen’s leisurely hand-tapping and pressed his fingers against his pulse. “Your Majesty is already out of mortal danger; resting well will suffice. This commoner can feel entirely at ease even if dragged into the Ministry of Justice.”
A commoner? Facing the brilliant sunlight, Nan Rongchen looked toward Xie Chen, watching as though observing a theatrical performance, allowing the man to lean in close. Before long, a murmur mixed with warm breath reached his ear: “Your Majesty must also remember that this base is entering prison purely for your sake.”
Could this profession of loyalty be any more stiff and unnatural? Nan Rongchen leaned backward to break the distance, utterly devoid of emotion even in his gaze as he ignored the Witch God entirely and turned to Nan Rongxian. “Regent King, please do as you wish.”
A moment ago he was Royal Brother, and within the span of a cup of tea he was Regent King. Nan Rongxian opened his mouth awkwardly. “What was that fellow whispering to Your Majesty?”
Leaning in so close made him look like an outsider.
“Since when has the Regent King taken an interest in idle matters?” Nan Rongchen threw off his blanket and stood up. The Bureau of Astronomy was bound to be noisy these next few days, and he had no desire to join the commotion. “We are heading to the hunting reserve palace.”
Ever since Nan Rongchen broke faith and severed ties with him several years ago, Nan Rongxian had never spent time alone with Nan Rongchen in private. Like everyone else, the only versions he ever saw were the impeccably attired Crown Prince and Sovereign.
Yet right now, Nan Rongchen had his dark hair half-tied, loosely draped in dark everyday robes, looking ready to step right out. He reached out and took a cloak from an attendant. Who else in the world was worthy of looking upon the Son of Heaven in this state? “The Spring Hunt is still days away. Why head to a place like that?”
Nan Rongchen leisurely tied his own brocade sash, too lazy to reply to him. “Just do as you are told.”
That parting remark from the surnamed Xie about still needing quiet recuperation lingered in his ears, so Nan Rongxian chose to yield to the patient. “This Prince will accompany you.”
“Unnecessary. The court requires Royal Brother to keep watch.” Nan Rongchen casually refused; Nan Rongxian must have had his brains scrambled by the throne to be so paranoid and talkative. “If the Regent King remains uneasy, simply assign men to follow.”
The Bureau of Astronomy fancied itself a sanctuary detached from the mundane world. Emerging from the main hall, streams wrapped around mountains, and scanning the horizon revealed no red bricks or black tiles, only verdant greenery embellishing delicate pavilions. No wonder it was able to raise blue-feathered birds.
Nan Rongchen aimlessly swept his gaze across a pool of spring water, only for a flash of crimson official robes to sweep away what little interest he had left.
He pretended not to see him. Having cheated death and facing an uncertain future death date, he was simply waiting for the day of his staged demise; no one else was worthy of his love or hatred anymore.
The world was vast and mountains overlapped. In his past life, he had lived as a trapped beast confined within palace walls and border battlefields, falling short even of these blue-feathered birds.
“This minister comes to invite Your Majesty to return to the palace.”
Nan Rongchen lowered his gaze to look at the person standing to the side bowing in salute, Xiao Yuanqing. On the year Nan Rongchen entered the Eastern Palace, he had been personally picked as top scholar by the late Emperor, hailing from the scholarly Xiao family spanning generations, proficient in the six arts, and possessing peerless talent. Even entering officialdom had not worn away his gentleman’s backbone, allowing him to wear crimson official robes with a crisp, upright elegance.
In his past life, he had loved nothing more than seeing the Imperial Preceptor dressed in these official robes. At present, however, he had no desire to spare him a second glance, continuing his stride without a moment’s pause until a hand clamped down on his forearm. “Minister is worried for Your Majesty.”
Nan Rongchen halted his steps and with extreme patience pried Xiao Yuanqing’s five fingers open one by one. “Is that so? If Teacher is so remarkably free, why not go help Gu sort out the old accounts of the Censorate? That would be far more practical than speaking these empty words.”
If this were his past life, and Xiao Yuanqing had uttered a single worried, he would have spent the journey contemplating retiring into seclusion with him once his grand enterprise was accomplished, living a peaceful life and never giving Xiao Yuanqing anything to worry about again.
Yet at this moment, he merely felt a wave of chilliness wash over him. Before boarding the carriage, he cast off the scarlet cloak he wore and spoke to Nan Rongxian, “It is soiled. I shall return a replacement to Royal Brother another day.”
Though bewildered by the reason behind it, Nan Rongxian paid no mind to the cloak discarded on the ground. Nan Rongchen’s actions aligned with his own desires. “Did Xiao Yuanqing offend you?”
Hearing this, Nan Rongchen lowered the embroidered carriage curtains. “Head to the Jiuan Palace. You, Regent King, may return on your own.”
The Regent King never had anything to do with modesty; every time he traveled out, a full ceremonial guard was mandatory. Though rushed today, he still brought half a royal retinue.
The carriage officer broke out in a cold sweat as he glanced at the Regent King. The entire court knew the Regent King and the Sovereign had fought for years like fire and water; now that the Regent King had been publicly snubbed by the Sovereign, it was a clash of immortals, and naturally, aquatic creatures like him would get caught in the crossfire.
As expected, the Regent King’s expression shifted. Just as the carriage officer prepared to drop to his knees, he saw their Prince break into a smile. “What are you still standing there for? Obey His Majesty’s instructions.”
Seated inside the carriage, Nan Rongchen listened to Nan Rongxian assigning guards outside, bringing his hand close to the gold-carved brazier. The warmth flowed through his fingers and spread throughout his body.
Watching the carriage depart, Nan Rongxian led his personal guards and grandly intercepted Xiao Yuanqing outside the Bureau of Astronomy. “Does Lord Xiao make a habit of offending His Majesty in this manner?”
“If Lord Xiao is unoccupied, why not join this Prince at a tavern for a chat? This Prince will treat.”
The carriage jolted along its journey through the suburbs, finally arriving at the Jiuan Palace by evening. Even though the carriage was lined with layers of marten fur and shark-skin silk, rendering it luxurious and comfortable, Nan Rongchen was still wracked with half a body’s worth of exhaustion.
Having practiced martial arts since youth, he ought not to have been so feeble, save for the injuries sustained when he personally led a campaign against Shule as Crown Prince, injuries the imperial physician diagnosed as having damaged his foundation.
He had paid those words no mind. In the fifth year of his reign, he still led a personal expedition, and it was only right before his death that he discovered how that fundamental damage had been inflicted.
The lowest-ranked carriage attendant dropped to his knees to form a human footstool. Nan Rongchen lacked the habit of treating human beings as objects, waving a hand to signal him to step back.
The carriage officer quickly reacted by barking at the man to get lost, then fetched a wooden ladder and reached out to assist Nan Rongchen down from the carriage.
This man was one of the Regent King’s subordinates, and his incessant chatter grated on the nerves. Nan Rongchen pointed to the attendant who had just climbed back up. “You come. The others need not follow too closely.”
The carriage officer’s skill at reading a noble’s expression had reached perfection. Since the Sovereign was traveling alone and in secret to the palace, he naturally disliked the Regent King’s men tagging along. “Your command is obeyed. But the journey has been long and fatiguing; shall this minister have servants prepare hot spring baths?”
Nan Rongchen nodded in agreement. After all, he wasn’t in such a rush to meet that Prince of Shule.
It was meant to be a pastime anyway; a fraction of a minute early or late made no difference.
Two hours later, ignoring the injury on his chest that refused to heal due to the system’s manipulation, he stepped into the steam-shrouded hot spring.
His arrival had been abrupt, and since it was not yet the season for the Spring Hunt, the Jiuan Palace had not yet fully prepared, allowing him to enjoy a rare moment of solitude.
Wisps of ethereal gauze drifted lazily through the air as he downed a few cups of wine, lifting his hand to catch the luminous jade cup and swirling the red wine within. “No one is here right now. This is truly the prime moment for an assassination. Why not make your move?”